The SummerStage 2021 lineup has just been released, with shows planned presented by Capital One and the City Parks Foundation to begin on June 17th in New York City. The concert series will continue throughout the summer, ending in October. This is the largest free outdoor performing arts festival, so you don’t want to miss it! You can complete a ticket request form now.
This year’s SummerStage festival centers around the theme of rebirth and resilience, as seen in the season’s artwork. All of the graphics are illustrated by Lyne Lucien, an award-winning Haitian artist based in Brooklyn. SummerStage is a women-run festival with a mission of diversity and inclusion. Since 2019, SummerStage has been transforming the music industry by presenting an annual lineup that features a 50:50 gender balance.
Performing arts fanatics will be able to enjoy the SummerStage 2021 lineup in various locations across New York City: Central Park, Coney Island, and Marcus Garvey Park. The festival will focus on distinctly New York genres, including hip-hop, Latin, indie rock, contemporary dance, jazz, and global music. SummerStage will also be partnering with Rooftop Films for a free drive-in film and live performance at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Free tickets are required for entry to every free SummerStage show this season. Ticket pod request forms will be available three weeks prior to each show. City Parks Foundation will frequently update their audiences on venue safety following New York State and City public health guidelines.
To get amped up for the 2021 season, take a look at the SummerStage 2019 recap!
City Parks Foundation helps to make public parks vibrant and welcoming gathering spaces for community initiatives such as arts, sports, and environmental education programs for New Yorkers.
In continuation of NYS Music’s series celebrating the Harlem Renaissance in its centennial years, it is important to highlight the Cotton Club which was instrumental in displaying Black talent.
Before it was the Cotton Club, the venue was owned by the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, Jack Johnson. It was called the Club Deluxe, a nightclub with 400 seats in 1920. It was located in the core part of Harlem, at 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue. About two years later in 1922, Owen “Owney” Madden, a leading figure of the underworld, purchased the venue while doing time in Sing Sing Prison. Under his leadership, the Cotton Club developed and expanded into a venue with 700 seats. The venue gained fame through radio broadcasts on a national level.
The Cotton Club was founded during the prohibition era, a time when selling alcohol was illegal. Madden used the club to sell his beer despite the restrictions. The club temporarily closed in 1925 due to the illegal sales but quickly reopened with no issues. After the reopening, a man named Herman Stark took over.
Black Performers for White Audience
In alignment with the time period, Cotton Club was a whites-only establishment, however, the performers and staff were Black. The Black staff members weren’t allowed to mingle with the all white-audience. The girls in the chorus were required to be tan or of a light complexion, tall, and under 21 years old and presented in scantily clad and revealing attire. The requirements for the male performers were less restricting and their skin tones were more diverse. After finishing the shows, the performers convened in the basement in the building next to the club.
Overall the Cotton Club reproduced stereotypical imagery of Black people which dehumanized them. Oftentimes the performers were portrayed as savages in the jungle or with themes of being on a plantation. While the conditions of their work was compromising and not ideal, the high profile clientele that they attracted resulted in high wages.
The venue’s theme of a white audience consuming Black talent, launched the careers of many legendary Black musicians. In 1927, famous jazz composer and bandleader, Duke Ellington, took the Cotton Club to another level. Ellington’s band became the house band, and they were expected to produce “jungle music”. His first revue was titled “Rhythmania” and featured jazz singer, Adelaide Hall, who also recorded several songs with Ellington during that time; including their hit “Creole Love Call”. During his time at the Cotton Club, he recorded over 100 compositions and experimented with creating arrangements. Just like radio broadcasts helped the venue gain attention, it did the same for Ellington and his work.
In 1931, jazz singer and bandleader Cab Calloway’s orchestra replaced Ellington’s as the house band. They began with their Brown Sugar revue and continued to make more contributions to the Cotton Club’s success. In 1933, Lena Horne began her professional career as a chorus girl and was a part of the Cotton Club Parade. Many other musicians have found success and have grown at the Cotton Club including Louis Armstrong, Dorothy Dandridge,Sammy Davis Jr., The Nicholas Brothers, Ethel Waters and more. Jimmie Lunceford’s band replaced Calloway’s in 1934, which was the same year of the highest grossing show at the Cotton Club, called “The Cotton Club Parade 1934.”
From Harlem to Broadway and Beyond
Due to race riots, the venue closed in 1936 and the location changed when it reopened. There were complaints and threats of boycotting because of the segregation that was upheld there. When the Cotton Club reopened, the newer site was in the Broadway Theatre District, specifically at Broadway and 48th St. In the same year, Calloway returned for the opening night and headed a roster of over 100 performers. Stark paid tap dancer Bill “Bojangles’ ‘ Robinson $3500 a week which was the highest amount that a Black performer was paid on Broadway and the highest any nightclub performer had been paid.
The Cotton Club closed indefinitely in 1940 from issues spanning from rises in rent and investigations looking into tax evasion from nightclub owners. Since its closing, variations of the site have opened around the country including Las Vegas, Chicago, California and more. According to Harlem World Magazine, in the late 1970s, a new Cotton Club opened in Harlem on 125th Street. The name is the same and it also revolved around jazz, however it was not made in affiliation with the original.
NYC-based pop artist Lexi Mariah is returning to the musical spotlight with her first release of 2021 titled “Playlist.” Her previous singles “Waterfall” and “SOURPATCH” received high praise and now the singer makes her mark on summer with her latest single.
The exhilarating yet emotional track debuted on listening platforms on June 11, following a week of anticipation since the young talent announced it on social media. “Playlist” is written by Lexi Mariah herself, along with co-writers and producers Josh Frank, Joe Frank, and Ricky Frank. In an interview with NYS Music, Mariah opened up about the inspiration behind her music and what it represents: positivity for her fans. Clearly, the singer has carried that sentiment into this year.
The new song is the addition that your favorite playlist needs. It will have you on your feet and dancing throughout summer 2021. The track embodies the perfect mix of both lighthearted and emotional lyrics. A melodious guitar line and resonant synth complement Mariah’s ethereal vocals. Additionally, a lively, electronic vibe within the chorus transforms the sound.
I have some playlists that I’ve made over the years that are now hard for me to listen to because the songs give me such vivid flashbacks of times I shared with people who are no longer in my life. On days where I’m able to bring myself to listen to them, all of the memories, good and bad, come rushing back. I always wonder if those songs make the other person think of me, too. When writing “Playlist”, I wanted it to be a track that my listeners could dance to, but also one that would tug on their heartstrings a bit, since it’s a concept that I feel so many people will be able to relate to.
Lexi Mariah on “Playlist”
Mariah’s new release follows her previous single, “Waterfall,” which dropped at the end of 2020. With “Playlist,” she seamlessly unites her traditionally heartfelt lyrics with a bright and lively supporting track. The singer-songwriter has, unsurprisingly, unearthed yet another layer of her music and sound.
Stay updated on Lexi Mariah’s upcoming projects with us here, and on her Instagram and Twitter. Check out “Playlist” along with Mariah’s previous single “Waterfall” and more on her Spotify and Youtube now.
The 2021 New York Guitar Festival(NYGF) will pay tribute to the iconic classical guitarist Julian Bream with an online series of concerts beginning July 14 and continuing until July 20. This year’s series “Remembering Julian Bream,” will include commissions by a group of stellar classical guitarists, lutenists and composers in honor of the late Grammy Award-winning concert artist.
Julian Bream was a trained pianist and cellist but found his love of music in the guitar. Bream died at his home in Wiltshire, England on August 14, 2020, at the age of 87. As John Schaefer wrote “He might have been the original Guitar God; he certainly was a trailblazer, a seeker, and a rebel.” He championed many contemporary composers while also discovering music like the Elizabeth composer John Dowland which led him to buy a lute.
Six composers will perform their own works dedicated to Bream: Laura Snowden from the UK, Jiji from Korea, Leo Brouwer from Cuba, Jozef van Wissem from Holland, Derek Gripper from South Africa, and Gyan Riley from the USA. In addition to these world premieres, “Remembering Julian Bream” will include performances of the classical guitar music that Bream became known for, dating from the 16th through the 20th century. Composers will include John Dowland, Anthony Holborne, Benjamin Britten, Francisco Tarrega, Mauro Giulliani, Enrique Granados, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and more.
In his New York Times obituary, Allan Kozinn wrote that Bream “pushed the guitar beyond its Spanish roots and expanded its range by commissioning dozens of works from major composers, and who also played a crucial role in reviving the lute as a modern concert instrument.”
WNYC’s John Schaefer explained, “I can understand why so many people think the classical guitar really begins with Andres Segovia. But it didn’t end there – otherwise we’d all just be playing Spanish music and Bach. Bream put the guitar on a wider, global, musical map, and the explosion of interest in and compositions for the guitar really starts with him. Also I hurt myself trying to learn how to play Aguado’s “Adagio” from one of Bream’s publications.”
“Listening to, and sharing, music has been a lifeline for so many people during this year of social isolation.” New York Guitar Festival’s Artistic Director David Spelman spoke of the project, “We hope this project will spread the joy of music, and shine a light on the remarkable contributions of Julian Bream, whose life stands as a testament to a life totally dedicated to music.”
Performer Bios for “Remembering Julian Bream“
Gyan Riley is a virtuoso guitarist and composer who plays classical, steel-string, and electric guitars. His repertoire includes his own music and that of his father, the influential composer Terry Riley. He has most recently written music for the PBS documentary series Hemingway.
Laura Snowden was a student of Julian Bream, and was entrusted with the premieres of several pieces that Bream commissioned. The London-based guitarist is also a member of the folk band Tir Eolas. Her compositions include choral music as well as works for guitar.
Jozef Van Wissem is a lute player who does not play traditional lute music. Performing on a remarkable swan-necked instrument, he performs his own works and has collaborated regularly with filmmaker and electric guitarist Jim Jarmusch.
Jiji was born in South Korea but now lives in the States, where she has become an ardent champion of contemporary music for guitar. A composer herself, she has long been interested in electronic music, and has premiered works for electric as well as classical guitar.
Derek Gripper is a South African musician and composer who has, somewhat improbably, brought the music of the West African lute-harp, or kora, into the classical guitar world. His extensive repertoire ranges from works by Bach to collaborations with South African steel-string player Guy Buttery.
Pepe Romero was not born with a guitar in his hands – it just seems like it. Son of the great Celedonio Romero, he has had a long solo career in addition to performing with his father and two brothers as Los Romeros. He has played for popes, princes, and presidents. And he’s a NYGF regular.
Sharon Isbin was Musical America’s 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first time that award has ever gone to a guitarist. The multiple Grammy winner is one of the most popular classical guitarists in the world, and has recorded with everyone from film composer Howard Shore to Indian classical master Amjad Ali Khan.
Isbin said “I will always be grateful to the legendary Julian Bream for his impassioned, heartfelt performances and recordings; his dedication to expanding the literature by commissioning outstanding contemporary composers; and for the generous private lesson he gave me at age fourteen which changed my life!”
Grammy winner Jason Vieaux takes a wide-angled view of what the word “classical” can mean. For him, it includes Bach, as well as Pat Metheny and South American tangos. A popular teacher at the Curtis and Cleveland institutes of music, he is also the founder of The Jason Vieaux School of Classical Guitar.
Vieaux commented that: “Bream was the ideal classical musician and artist for me, regardless of instrument. He was a primary role model for me and for so many in our field. Bream not only was sophisticated, refined, hip and earthy, all at once… he was pointing the way toward a possible future. The number and scope of his contributions are staggering.”
William Kanengiser has had two parallel careers: one as an award-winning solo guitarist, and another as a founding member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. In both cases he has extended the classical repertoire by championing new works and arranging old ones. He does a spot-on Julian Bream imitation.
The Amadeus Guitar Duo, based in Germany, consists of Canada’s Dale Kavanagh and her German partner Thomas Kirchhoff. They have almost single-handedly (double-handedly?) created a new body of works for classical guitar duo, and for guitar duo and orchestra, with more than thirty composers writing for them.
Eliot Fisk was the last direct pupil of Andres Segovia, and the founder of the guitar department at the Yale School of Music. This means his long, prolific career is a bridge between the guitar’s most iconic figure and the generations of gifted musicians coming from that program today. His collaborators have included Bill Frisell and Paco Pena, among many others.
Tengyue Zhang has won many of the classical guitar world’s most important competitions. The Chinese-born musician has studied with Sharon Isbin, and now with William Kanengiser. He is a stunning virtuoso and a reasonable man: you can just call him TY.
Paul O’Dette was an electric guitarist in a high school rock band when he heard Julian Bream playing the lute. He went on to become one of the prime movers in the first flowering of the Early Music scene in America, and is one of the leading researchers and performers of Renaissance and early Baroque music.
Benjamin Verdery is the Kevin Bacon of the guitar world – everyone seems to know him. In 1985, he became chair of the guitar department that Eliot Fisk founded at Yale, turning it into a formidable source of great musicians, from Jiji to rock guitarist/composer Bryce Dessner. His repertoire goes from Bach to Hendrix to his own works.
Hopkinson Smith is an American-born, Swiss-based lutenist and teacher. In the 1970s he helped Jordi Savall in putting together the essential early music group Hesperion XX (now Hesperion XXI). He also plays early guitar-like instruments including the vihuela and theorbo.
Smith commented that “Bream was an extraordinary communicator with a seemingly unstoppable energy. His voracious technique well served his deep lyric sense and his eyes understood all that was going on around him. He was a truly charismatic figure with an adventurous spirit and an inquisitive mind.” Lutenist and composer Jozef van Wissem adds that Bream: “single-handedly put the lute back on the map.”
Marija Temo plays, and teaches, both classical and flamenco guitar. She is also a flamenco singer and a retired flamenco dancer; her own music owes much to that style. But she’s appeared in some unusual places – a major festival of Dominican bachata music, for example, or onstage with the Zac Brown Band.
Alberta Khoury is an Australian guitarist who has studied with Sharon Isbin at Juilliard, with whom she made her NY Guitar Festival debut in 2017. She is a composer, often working with actors and dancers; and while she is mostly a soloist, she has done duo performances with TY (Tengyue Zhang).
Adam Del Monte has written two concertos for flamenco guitar and orchestra, and he recorded the featured flamenco guitar part in Osvaldo Golijov’s opera Ainadamar. His music fuses classical and flamenco, and he teaches both styles at USC.
David Leisner is the guitarist who almost wasn’t. A promising career was derailed by focal dystonia in the 1980s, but Leisner discovered ways to regain the use of his hand. He now teaches both guitar and muscle training for musicians. A composer and virtuoso player, he is co-chair of the guitar department at Manhattan School of Music.
The Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo has a long track record of innovative programming, both as an ensemble and as founders of the Raritan River Music Festival in New Jersey. They have commissioned dozens of works for two guitars and have collaborated with a number of string quartets, including ETHEL and the Turtle Island Quartet.
Pablo Sainz Villegas has played guitar concertos with most of the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has performed for the Spanish royal family and recorded a duo album with Placido Domingo
Wed, July 14: Sharon Isbin at 3pm EDT, Pepe Romero at 4pm EDT, Pablo Sáinz Villegas at 5pm EDT
Thurs, July 15: Jason Vieaux at 3pm EDT, David Leisner at 4pm EDT, William Kanengiser at 5pm EDT
Fri, July 16: Derek Gripper at 3pm EDT, Amadeus Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Paul Odette at 5pm EDT
Sat, July 17: Eliot Fisk at 3pm EDT, Hopkinson Smith at 4pm EDT, Marija Temo at 5pm EDT
Sun, July 18: Jozef van Wissem at 3pm EDT, Alberta Khoury at 4pm EDT, Tengue Zhang at 5pm EDT
Mon, July 19: Benjamin Verdery at 3pm EDT, Jiji at 4pm EDT, Gyan Riley at 5pm EDT
Tues, July 20: Adam Del Monte at 3pm EDT, Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo at 4pm EDT, Laura Snowden at 5pm EDT
“Remembering Julian Bream” will premier three video performances each day, from July 14 – July 20 at 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm EDT via the New York Guitar Festival YouTube channel.
WNYC Radio’s “New Sounds,” in partnership with the New York Guitar Festival, will debut audio recordings of the newly commissioned works at 93.9FM or at the New Sounds website.
Access to “Remembering Julian Bream” is free. The NYGF and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. Learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, here.
On July 31st, heavy metal vocalist Dee Snider will release his fifth full-length album, Leave a Scar, via Napalm Records. He recently released his first single on the album, “I Gotta Rock (Again)” along with a new music video.
Hailing from Queens, Dee Snider has become one of the most respected vocalists in the heavy metal world. The release of this album is incredibly exciting for him and his fans, especially because he recently shared that at the end of 2019, he didn’t see his career continuing. The state of the world in 2020, however, led him to find himself through his music again and come out with Leave a Scar.
Leave a Scar expresses the pain and anger that Dee felt while in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He describes how this time of solitude made him more in-tune with the writing process than ever before. He felt a deep need to fill the album with messages to and for listeners that need to speak up, but don’t feel that they can. This experience was a catalyst for him to make his best music yet, proving how his career is far from over.
“I Gotta Rock (Again)” is a strong start to the album and will have listeners head banging from the get-go. Another track that will leave listeners in awe is “Time to Choose,” which features a vocal attack by Cannibal Corpse’s George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. “The Reckoning” is a classic heavy metal assault, and track “All or Nothing More” showcases Snider’s harmonic talent. Melodic, metalcore inspired “In For The Kill” is also highly anticipated, as well as “Down But Never Out” and its strong drums. “Before I Go” has a mesmerizingly catchy chorus and chilling lyrics. The last track on the album is a ballad titled “Stand.” This song fulfills Dee’s purpose of ensuring that listeners feel their own struggles are being heard. Leave a Scar pushes Dee’s music boundaries and sets him into a new era of genius.
Jamey Jasta, Dee’s producer, boasts about the artist, revealing how powerful his range and vocals are. Jasta mentions how unique and original his sound is and confidently states that Dee is an American leader of the rock and metal community.
Former Twisted Sister frontman and Long Island native Dee Snider is coming back to Long Island to film an upcoming concert film. It will take place on June 11th at Stereo Garden in Patchogue. The show is in support of his new solo album “Leave A Scar” which is to be released July 30th.
Tickets to the show can be found here. The 7 p.m. show will be limited to 200 attendees who must be vaccinated or have a recent Covid-19 test. You can see the tracklist and video for the first single”I Gotta Rock (Again)” from the new album below.
As Phish was putting the finishing touches on their acclaimed Billy Breathes album in 1996, they also honored a fun Bearsville, NY tradition. It had become commonplace for bands to play at a very small club called Joyous Lake whenever they were finished with their business at Bearsville Studios. Billed as ‘Third Ball’, the last “stealth” Phish gig made available for public consumption went down 25 years ago today.
Joyous Lake and its 200-person capacity were a far cry from the arenas and amphitheaters that Phish played regularly by now. Thankfully, sound engineer Paul Languedoc provided soundboard patches to those in the know who showed up with recording gear. As a result, this show has all the feel of a small, intimate affair from the late ’80s combined with the raw power and energy Phish had infused their music with by 1996. Approximately two months before there was a Clifford Ball, there was Third Ball.
Bearsville Studios, June 1996 credit: Danny Clinch
Since this was no typical Phish concert at this point in time, why not open it with a “Split Open and Melt?” Drummer Jon Fishman starts up the signature opening drum beat and, much to the small crowd’s delight, the show begins. Although the jam has a few “clunky” early moments, in no time a full-fledged “Melt” jam is underway, with any other discernible signs of rust now clearly removed. With most of the year devoted to work on Billy Breathes so far, this was only the second live show played in 1996.
The “Runaway Jim” that comes later seems to have all of the Joyous Lake crowd signing along at the outset. They soon give way to a beautifully escalating, driving jam that’s steered by Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell on guitar and piano, respectively. The band also fools around a bit with the “Funky Bitch” that follows, continuing to drop some early gems on the Bearsville crowd.
The double-edged sword that is a small venue gig rears its head in the beginning of “Theme From The Bottom.” A crowd that’s getting energized by some intimate Phish, as well as more “hydrated” by the minute, can be heard very easily in some of the quieter opening segments. Although quiet moments wouldn’t be an issue for much of the remainder of the first set, starting with the “Big Black Furry Creature From Mars” that follows where Trey allegedly fashioned an empty beer bottle into a guitar slide. “Scent Of A Mule” features its customary ‘Mule Duel’ as well as a full-on teases of “Sunshine Of Your Love” and “Cocaine.” And the set comes to a whirlwind of a close with a cover of “Highway To Hell” that has the full band toying around with the vocals.
The second set of this “secret” gig at Joyous Lake features a blend of live Phish staples and brand new debuts. “AC/DC Bag” revs things back up as the set opener, with some intense guitar play from Anastasio on the back end of it. Next, somewhat surprisingly, a sublime “You Enjoy Myself” is played, undoubtedly in front of the smallest crowd in years. The band treats this one no differently though as its played to perfection, with all the bells, whistles and customarily eerie vocal jam included.
Phish keeps the old school vibe in effect with a “Chalkdust Torture” that emerges the instant said vocal jam concludes. It’s not a particularly extended version, but it packs a punch. “Sparkle” then follows in the same vein before “Stash” gives the band another chance to spread their wings and soar.
The second set also contains a pair of Phish debuts that are now firmly embedded in their live show repertoire. “Waste” and “Character Zero,” two songs prominently featured on the upcoming Billy Breathes release, are played back-to-back, both for the first time ever. “Waste” is still so raw at this time that it stops somewhat abruptly with Trey noting “we don’t have an ending for it yet.”
The remainder of the show is vintage Phish, beginning with the monstrous “David Bowie” that follows the debuts. Trey stumbles over some of the lyrics in “Fee” before getting redemption via another dazzling run on guitar on the “Sample in a Jar” that closes out the set. The “Ya Mar” that starts the encore has a rough spot or two before rounding into form before an incendiary cover Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire” closes the book on Third Ball.
Listen to the show in its entirety below, or selected songs at PhishTracks.
Phish Joyous Lake – Bearsville, NY 6/6/96
Set 1: Split Open and Melt, Poor Heart, Runaway Jim, Funky Bitch, Theme From the Bottom, Big Black Furry Creature From Mars, Scent of a Mule, Highway to Hell
Set 2: AC/DC Bag, You Enjoy Myself, Chalkdust Torture, Sparkle, Stash, Waste, Character Zero, David Bowie, Fee > Sample in a Jar
E: Ya Mar, Fire
This unannounced show was performed under the name “Third Ball.” BBFCFM featured Trey using a Rolling Rock beer bottle as a slide. Scent of a Mule included a Sunshine of Your Love tease and saw Trey on keys for portions. Waste and Character Zero debuted at this show. The opening act was Juan Hung Low.
After a 15 year hiatus following her acclaimed album Where the Mangoes Are, Albany-area folk singer Kate McDonnell is back with her fifth studio album, Ballad of a Bad Girl.
For this latest project, McDonnell collaborated with drummer Jerry Marotta, bassist Tony Levin and co-writer Anne Lindley. Recorded at Dreamland Studios in Hurley, NY last summer, Ballad of a Bad Girl features 11 tracks. McDonnell’s poignant songwriting is showcased, as well as her raw, acoustic instrumentals. It is easy to be reminded of classic Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez tracks when listening.
The opening title track “Ballad of a Bad Girl” begins with plucky, yet rich guitar. Through the context of a sisterly relationship, McDonnell sings about femininity and being misunderstood : Folks call us those bad, bad girls/We’re just misunderstood. Complex family dynamics are a major theme of the record. On the track “Father and Son”, McDonnell addresses masculinity and rage: Father and son, father and son/Two angry hearts beating as one.
McDonnell also explores topics of travel, imagination and romance. She sings about faraway places in “Berlin” and “Malibu” and tells dreamlike stories of meeting and losing loved ones and the harsh realities of broken promises.
McDonnell in the studio.
Along with 9 original tracks, Ballad of a Bad Girl features 2 covers: “Dimming of the Day” by Richard Thompson and “Long As I Can See The Light” by John Fogerty. McDonnell’s vocal and instrumental interpretations of these 70s tracks are unique and pleasant. Her voice conveys strong emotion and her fingerstyle guitar playing feels artful and personal.
Ballad of a Bad Girl is set for official release on July 1. In the meantime, tracks are currently available for listening on YouTube. You can find more about Kate McDonnell on her website.
Key Tracks: Ballad of a Bad Girl, Malibu, Sweet Virginia
With live music returning to Capital Region venues, Saratoga’s historic Caffe Lena is in a position to assist a popular jazz festival in a part of the world that is still restricted by COVID-19. With American musicians unable to cross the border for their gigs at Quebec Jazz In June, Caffè Lena will instead be producing the shows at its location in Saratoga and making it available to the Quebec Audience via livestream.
Quebec Jazz in June, a ten day festival that ushers jazz music to the streets of Quebec City has pivoted to a hybrid online, and in-person model as Canada keeps its southern border closed.
“This legendary venue has stepped up to ensure that world class American musicians will once again be a part of our annual festivities – this time through the magic of live streaming.” Says Simon Couillard, the Festival’s General Manager.
Three nights of the festivals headline artists will be live streamed from Caffe Lena to the Festival’s social media platforms. Capital Region audiences can also attend the concerts in-person, in the intimate listening room located in downtown Saratoga Springs.
“Standing in as Quebec’s USA Stage is a win-win-win. The artists get to play for the festival’s audience; Quebec Jazz can hang onto their American line-up; and Saratoga gets to experience the festival’s mainstage musicians in person,” says Caffe Lena’s Executive Director Sarah Craig.
The collaboration between Caffe Lena and Quebec Jazz in June is one to look forward to, and is a positive thing as a result of the pandemic. The historic venue has been regularly sharing their stage and live stream capabilities with a number of venues and organizations from around the region, including 2020’s Freihoffer’s Jazz Festival.
Producing more than 200 shows during 2020, the venue’s audience has expanded far beyond its 110-seat listening room, while providing more than $100,000 in income to musicians who were not able to play live shows in over a year.
“This event is a perfect example of the growth of the independent music world that happened over the past year. There was pain while it was happening, but the end result–greater access for all–is exciting for artists and audiences. This international collaboration with Quebec Jazz In June is truly exhilarating,” says Craig.
The American artists performing at Caffe Lena for this series will include Manuel Valera New Cuban Express on Thursday, June 17th, Sheila Jordan on Friday, June 18th, and the Chuck Lamb Trio featuring Chuck Lamb, Jay Anderson and Harvey Sorgen on Sunday, June 20th.
Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Valera, who has played with Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval, begins a three-night run with a scaled-down version of his New Cuban Express Big Band. Inspired by famed Cuban writer and independence hero José Martí, Valera has created a song cycle using traditional Cuban styles merged with contemporary Latin jazz. Valera, who lost his wife in 2020, repurposed Martí’s powerful poems as a personal cry for freedom, justice and passion for life. Valera will be joined by Felipe Lamoglia on saxophone, Ricky Rodriquez on bass and Jimmy McBride on drums.
National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Sheila Jordan follows the next night. Widely regarded as one of the great jazz vocalists, she remains innovative and passionate, at the youthful of 92. Always eager to forge new connections, Jordan will be accompanied by Capital Region jazz artists Dylan Perrillo on bass, Nick Anderson on drums, and Tyler Giroux on piano.
Saratoga’s own Chuck Lamb closes out the festivities on Sunday with a trio featuring Harvey Sorgen on drums and Jay Anderson on bass. Lamb, best known as the pianist for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, is the artist-in-residence for the acclaimed monthly “Jazz at Caffe Lena” music series. Each musician brings a wealth of talent and experience to the stage ranging from all corners of jazz music.
Caffe Lena offers a state of the art live stream experience with professional sound engineering and a multi-camera broadcasting system. Throughout the COVID-19 shutdown, the Caffe’s live stream capabilities became a lifeline for the organization as they shifted their programming to an entirely virtual experience. Now they are open for limited capacity live audiences, while also continuing to stream its nightly performances as a way to stay connected with music lovers far and wide.
Founded in 1960, Caffè Lena is a premiere concert venue located in Saratoga Springs, NY. Known around the world for fostering the preservation and growth of independent music rooted in tradition, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States.
In person or virtually, Caffe Lena provides an unparalleled listening experience for renowned artists and breakout bands nearly every night of the week. The Caffe offers homemade desserts, locally sourced light fare, coffee, wine and beer to enjoy during the show. To buy tickets, live stream a concert and view our schedule please visit www.caffelena.org
Summary of Events Thursday, June 17, 7 PM – Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Friday, June 18, 8 PM – Sheila Jordan Trio Sunday, June 20, 7 PM – Lamb-Sorgen-Anderson
Bardavon Presents has announced it will reopen this August after being closed for 14 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four new shows will join a number of previously scheduled performances postponed and rescheduled in 2020. More shows and available sales will be announced in the coming weeks.
Erected in 1868 by British immigrant James Collingwood, the Collingwood Opera House featured a plethora of various performances throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1923, the opera house became known as The Bardavon. Since then, the building continues to serve as a focal point for the performing arts, evolving and thriving throughout the years.
Upcoming Shows For Reopening
The following four shows will go on sale to Bardavon members on Tuesday, June 8 at 11am, and to the general public on Friday, June 11 at 11am:
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – Sunday, August 22 at 7pm at UPAC: Multi-instrumentalist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews brings his R&B, rock, rap, and funk brass band to UPAC for the very first time. Tickets start at $50.
Dispatch (Acoustic) – Saturday, September 25 at 8pm at Bardavon: One of the country’s most successful indie/roots bands, Dispatch, brings its politically progressive acoustic rock to the Bardavon for an intimate show. Tickets start at $45.
David Sedaris – Saturday, October 16 at 8pm at Bardavon: Sedaris returns to the Bardavon to read stories spanning his remarkable career followed by a Q&A and book signing. All Tickets $49.
Words & Music: An intimate evening with Patti Smith – Saturday, November 13 at 8pm at UPAC: Pioneering artist and punk icon Patti Smith performs a set of original spoken-word stories from her life, interspersed with songs, and will take questions from the audience. Tickets start at $49.
The four shows above join the following performances postponed in 2020 that are on sale now at Bardavon.org
Brit Floyd Aug 29 at UPAC Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Oct 24 at UPAC Mavericks Dec 18 at UPAC Celtic Woman March 20 at UPAC Stomp May 26 at UPAC
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music fromSara Devoe, Blackcat Elliot and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Sara Devoe
Albany artist Sara Devoe blends a dream pop aesthetic with the songwriting sensibilities of Phoebe Bridgers and Lana Del Rey. “Big Night” is the first single off her debut EP, out this summer. Chill and slightly aloof, it’s tailor-made for solo summer drives.
Blackcat Elliot
Inspired by the CBGB punk scene of the 1970s with a side of 90s grunge, Albany garage band trio Blackcat Elliot is still going strong after 20 years. Made up of Fast Eddie on bass, Marky Balboa on drums and Gus on guitar and vocals, they’re self-proclaimed “troublesome, working class heroes.” Their 2019 album There Is No Good In Us features “Take It Back,” a hard rock number with Grohl-esque vocals.
U.C.
Toronto prog trio U.C. released their album Time Distortion in March. Quirky and experimental, “Magnanimity” pays tribute to the titular five-dollar word with daring production choices. While relegated to the background, the shimmering piano that enters halfway through makes the song. At times, “Magnanimity” appears to pay homage to Freddie Mercury and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” If the listener didn’t know its release date, it could easily be mistaken for a song from the past or even future.
